The Forrest City times., 1887-12-03


 Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings Of the island, and that only because there is etlli treasure not yet lifted, take up my pen in the year of grace IT., and go back to the time when my father kert the Admiral Benoow Inn, and the brown old seaman, with the saber cut first took up hls lodging under our roof.
 remember him as if it were yesterday d he came p!odding to the inn door, his sea- chest following behind him in a hand-bars row; a tall, strong heavy. nut-browu man, his tarry pig tail falling over the shoulders of his soiled blue coat; his hands ragged and scared, with black, broken nails; and the saber cut across the one cheek, a dirty, liyid white l remember him looking rcund the cove and whistling to himself as he did so, and then breaking out in that old sca. song that he sang so often afterward,
 Fifteen men on the dead msn's ohese--
 fo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum"
 in the high, old tottering voice that seemed to have been tuned and broken at the cap stan bars. Then he rapped on the door with a bit Of stick like a handspike that he car ried, and when my father appeared, called roughly for glass of rum. This, when 1t was brought to him, he drank slowly, like Q connoisseur, lingering on the taste, and still looking about him at the cliffs and up at our signbeard.
 "ihls is handy cove" says he, at length; "and pleasant sittyated grog- shop. Much company, mate9"
 My father told him no, very little compa- ny, the more was the pity.
 Well. then" said he, 'thls is the bert, for me. Here you, matey," be cried to the man who tnindled the barrow; "brIng up alongside aud help up my chest I'll sta, here a bit" he continued. "Pm c plain man; rum and bacon and eggs is what want and that head up there for to watch ships of, What you thought call me7 You thought call me captain. Oh, l see what you're at-there;' and he threw down three or four gold pieces on the threshold. "You can tell me when I've worked through that" says he, looking as fierce as q com mander.
 And, indeed, bad as his clothes were, and coarsely as he spoke, he had none of the ap pearance of Q man who sailed before the mast; but seemed like mate or skipper, sc- cnstomed to Dc obeyed or strike. The man who came with the barrow told us the mail had set him down the morning before at the Royal George; that he had inquired what inns there were along the coast and hearing ours well spoken of, l suppose, and deserlb- cd as lonely, had chosen 1t from the others for his place of residence. And that was all We could learn of our guest
 He was a very silent man by custom. All day he hung round the cove, or upon the cliffs, with a brass telescope; all evening he sat in a corner of the parlor next tho fire, and drank rum and water Yay strong. Mostly he would not speak when spoken to; only look up sudden and fierce, and blow through his nose like a fog-horn; and we and the people who came about our house soon learned to let him be. Every day, when he came back from his stroll, he would ask If any seafaring men had gone by along the road? At first we thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question; but at last We began 10 sec he was deSrous 10 avoid them. When seaman put up at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did, making by the coast road for BristoD, he would look In al him through the curtained door before he entered the parlor, and he was always sure to be as silent as mouse when any such was present. For me, at least there was no secret about the matter, for was, in way. sharer of his alarms.
 He had taken me aside one day, and promised me silver fourpenny on the first GI tNtl4 llbuAn IT NbAtA bhAy hItP AAJ ''weather-eye open for a seafaring man with one leg," and let him know the moment he appeared. Often enough, when the first of the month came around, and l applied to him for my wage, he would only blow through his nose at me, and stare me down; but before the week was out he was sure to think better of it bring me my fourpeAny piece, and repeat his orders to look out for the sea -fariuu man with one leg How that parsonage haunted my dreams, need scarcely tell you. On stormy nights, when the wind shook the four corners of tho house. and the surf roared along the cove and up the cliffs, 1 would see him in thousand forms, and with thousand dia- bolical expressions. Now the leg would he cut off at the knee now at the hip; now he was mOnstF0us kind of a creature who had x never had but the one leg, and that in the middle of his body. To see him leap and z run and pursue me over hedge and ditch, was the worst of nightmares. And alto T gether l paid pretty dear for my monthly #1ourpenny piece in the shape of these aboin- Unable fancies.
 f But though was so terrified by the idea &of the seafaring man with one leg, was far less afraid of the captain himself than any. body else who knew him. There were Nhtu lt ktDh II uthl IlDlt run AlfNA water than his head would carry; and then he would some etmcs sit and sing his wicked, pld, wild seasongs miRding nobody; but &eometlme he would call for glasses round, and force all the trembling company to listen sto his stories or bear chorus to his singing. kOlten 1 Ihaye heard the house shaking with S'I o-ho-lio, and a bottle of rlun;" all the neighbors joining in Tor dear life, with the E 4ear Of death upon them, and each singing touder than the other, to avoid remark. For ID these its he was the most overriding eomlanion ever known; he would slap his oand on the table for silence all rount; he you'd fly up in passion of anger at qaes- 2 Hon, or sometimes because nOne was put, sAnd sO he judged the company was not fol- Owing his story. Nor would he allow any Qne 10 leave the inn til he had drunk him. elf sleepy and reeled off to bed.
 liis stories were what frightened people Vorst of all. Dreadful st0res they were; ! Don't hanging and walking the plank, and 2pruls tt sea, and tue Dry Tortugas, and Bild deeds and plaees on the Spanish Main
 b hls oan account he must have lived his < ufe among some of the wlclledeSt men that 4od evar allowed upon the sea; and the Anguaee in winch he told these stories locked our plain country people almost as WNca as The crimes that he dcScfloeu. My 4tLer was always saying the inn would Do @oincd, for people would soon cease coming 1cre to b. tylannlzed oyer and put down. 0od sent shivering 10 their beds; hut real believe Lis presence did us good. People Nere frightened at the time, but on looking III theyfather liked it; it was q fine ex' 4>ement in quiet country life; and there yas even party of the younger men who Uftcn-.edto to admire him. calling him true rdo-,," and real old salt" and such UEe names and saving thero was the sort of n that made England terrible at sea.
 1n one way, indeed he bade fair to rum E s for ae kept on staying week after week, 41l at last month after month, so that all ! m money had been long exhausted, and
 M my father never piue6cd np the heart to f16lst on having more. If ever he mention < n the captain blew tirough his nose so $ 4iy, that yau might say he roared, and { m ay poor father out of the room ' 1n seen him ,-Iinging his hands after such |n Hhaa. and ] am sure the annoyance and